The aims of this pilot study were to determine whether the weight of a backpack, its position on the spine or time carried affected adolescents cervical and shoulder posture. Standing posture measured from the sagittal and frontal planes of 13 students was recorded photographically under several load carrying conditions. Cervical and shoulder position angles were calculated and compared. Results revealed that both backpack weight and time carried influenced cervical and shoulder posture. Forward head posture increased when carrying a backpack, especially one with a heavy load. Carrying a backpack weighing 15% of body weight appeared to be too heavy to maintain standing posture for adolescents. These findings have implications for future load carrying studies in adolescents.

(1) The findings demonstrate the feasibility of implementing an automated large-scale opt-out tobacco-cessation service for hospitalized patients that is consistent with the Joint Commission recommended standards for treating tobacco dependence. (2) Receiving a bedside tobacco-cessation consult while hospitalized increased the use of stop smoking medications and abstinence from smoking after discharge from the hospital. (3) Even in those patients who did not receive a bedside consult, 5% accepted a referral to the South Carolina Tobacco Quitline to get help to stop smoking.

These findings suggest that the multidimensional and individual nature of the persistent pain experience may not be adequately explained by pain questionnaires such as the MPQ. Personalized pain descriptors may communicate the pain experience more appropriately, but may also contribute to an increased sensitivity of cortical pain processing areas by capturing increased attention for that individual. The language used as part of communication between therapists and people with persistent pain may provide an, as yet, unexplored adjunct strategy in management.

This study explored whether group size and group member characteristics (age, sex, and compensation status) were associated with patient outcomes (changes in pain and disability). Retrospective analyses of outcome data obtained from 2 independently run group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programs for chronic pain (Program A: N = 317 and Program B: N = 693) were conducted. Intracluster correlations were significant in both studies, indicating group-level effects on patient outcomes in both group CBT programs for chronic pain. Mixed modelling revealed that group size and group member characteristics (age, sex, and compensation status) were related to patient outcomes, but not consistently across programs. The results of our analyses confirm the contribution of group composition to individual treatment outcomes in group CBT for chronic pain, and highlight factors that have the potential to contribute to group-level variability in patient outcomes. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms that account for the impact of group characteristics on the efficacy of CBT for chronic pain.

People who do regular yoga perform no differently in a left/right judgement task than people who do not.